144 HORTICULTURAL TOUR. 



Bale of oranges and carrots in their markets, on account of 

 their aristocratical hue ! The successors of the men who, 

 by their unanimity, courage, and real devotion to liber- 

 ty, had been able to thrown oft' the Spanish yoke, forming 

 now a divided nation, fell an easy prey to the French; 

 under whom they suffered most severely, till the wonderful 

 events of 1814 enabled them to receive back their Stadt- 

 holder, whom they now greeted as a King, with exulting 

 shouts of Oranje hovcn. 



The House in the Wood. 



Late in the afternoon, we took a walk to the northward 

 of the Hague, on the Amsterdam road, and entered a fo- 

 rest of large and ancient trees, by much the finest which 

 we have seen on the Continent, and evidently several cen- 

 turies old. Many oaks, elms and beeches were magnifi- 

 cent. Some of the oaks, at two feet from the ground, mea- 

 sured twelve feet in circumference, and had free and clean 

 boles to the height of about forty feet. This wood, in all 

 probability, gave rise to the name of the city ; for Haag 

 (the Dutch for Hague) signifies thicket or wood. It was 

 originally a seat of the Counts of Holland, and is often to 

 this day called GraaPs Haag, or Earl's Wood. 



Although we had no guide, we easily found the palace 

 called the House in the Wood, about two miles distant 

 from the Hague ; and having inquired for the gardener 

 Mr Jacobus Munts, we readily procured access to the Royal 

 Garden. It is kept in good order, and is now arranged in 

 what is here reckoned the English style, the old formal 

 hedge** and fantastically shaped trees, having been inagreat 

 measure removed. The grounds are now traversed by ser- 

 pentine walks, laid with sand : these wind among groves of 

 forest-trees, which have never been subjected to the shears; 



